Winemaker’s Notes:
The 2020 Grande Cuvée Pinot noir is sourced from a collection of family-owned vineyards across the Willamette Valley. This wine overflows with deep aromas of baked cherries, fresh garden herbs, and applewood chips. The palate is exuberant with tart yet supple red fruit notes and a warm spice through to the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2025.
The Vintage:
In a globally unexpected year, we had an unexpected vintage for Willamette Valley wines as well. Yields were slightly decreased due to early spring temperature fluctuations. Light April frost reduced budding by a fractional amount, and June bloom was tempered by cooler and wetter weather than desired. This led to smaller berries and the loss of some clusters. When the moisture abated, the lead-up to harvest was mild, allowing a lengthy phenolic ripening period and concentrated fruit due to the smaller berries and yield.
Like much of the West Coast, our area experienced outbreaks of small forest fires just before harvest time. We partner with vineyards around the valley, and were able to closely monitor the fruit for any issues. Luckily we were able to go through with a normal harvest and ended up with ripe, concentrated, perfectly delicious fruit. Slow hangtime on the vine is always a good thing, and the 2020 vintage is shaping up to compete with the best of them.
- pH: 3.57
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- RS: 0.52 g/L